The purpose of the Molecular Biology core is to facilitate the application of the tools of molecular genetics[unreadable] to the study of gastrointestinal peptides and their physiological functions. In all aspects, the Molecular[unreadable] Biology Core functions to provide essential services and serves as an educational resource to all Center[unreadable] Investigators. Although basic molecular techniques are widely available to Center investigators through[unreadable] commercial sources, there remain specific services that are best provided by pooled resources and by highly[unreadable] trained personnel such as those that can be provided by a Center. During the prior funding period, three[unreadable] Core programs were provided: the Transgenic Animal Program, the Viral Vector Program and the Gene[unreadable] Expression Program. The Molecular Biology Core has added a Microarray Gene Chip Program and has[unreadable] essentially updated the Gene Expression Program to provide education and training in those techniques that[unreadable] can be performed in the investigators own laboratory after receiving some theoretical and practical training.[unreadable] Since investigator needs have likely moved beyond basic gene expression approaches to involve such[unreadable] techniques as chromatin structure and analysis, this primarily education program has been renamed the[unreadable] Molecular Techniques Training Program. Investigators needing assistance with basic molecular techniques,[unreadable] e.g., quantitative RT-PCR and more sophisticated techniques, e.g., chromatin immunoprecipitation assays[unreadable] (ChIP), can receive training from the Core Director (Dr. Merchant) and her associate (Dr. Bai).